Young and Profiting with Hala Taha - Career Growth Moves That Make You Impossible to Ignore | Career | Presented by MasterClass

Starting point is 00:00:00 Hey, young improfitors, influence isn't about being the loudest voice in the room. It's about being strategic, memorable, and indispensable. If you want to grow fast, get noticed, and become indispensable at work, it starts on day one. And it's not just about what you believe. It's about what you do. Welcome to a special episode of Young Improfiting, sponsored by Masterclass. Today, we're breaking down how to build influence at work from every angle. We are meant to exercise the gifts we've been given.

Starting point is 00:00:27 I believe myself worthy of every opportunity. Communication is how you show up to the world. When you open your mouth, that is your brand. If I'm around the right people and in the right places, the right time will happen on its own. You don't need to wait for permission to be influential. Let's go. Do you want to get promoted, close more deals, or be the one that others actually listen to in meetings? Because let's be honest, influence isn't about being the loudest voice in the room.

Starting point is 00:00:55 It's about being strategic, memorable, and indispensable. Welcome to a special episode of Young Improfitings, sponsored by Masterclass. Today we're breaking down how to build influence at work from every angle. We'll talk about how to find your role, communicate with confidence, increase your likeability, ask for meaningful feedback, strengthen your relationships, promote yourself, and so much more. You'll hear powerful insights from top experts like Chris Voss, Kim Scott, Patrick Lynchone, Tori Dunlap, and Ken Coleman. By the way, Chris Voss and Kim Scott also have classes on Masterclass that you can check out. All right, yeah, bam, the climb starts now, so let's get it.

Starting point is 00:01:35 If you want to grow fast, get noticed, and become indispensable at work, it starts on day one. And it's not just about what you believe. It's about what you do. Whether you're in sales, operations, or middle management, the most influential employees treat their jobs like a business. The ones who act like business owners, who find ways to grow revenue, reduce friction, and solve problems stand out fast. Derek Kinney, a financial educator and the host of the Good Money podcast, gave me some great

Starting point is 00:02:02 pointers on how you can become the go-to person that your company can't live without. I want to make sure that you are the person to stand out where there's opportunities. When there's a challenge that comes up, they call on you as the go-to person. And it's all about a mentality that I think you want to lay the moment you get to the office and say, look, I want to be here long-term, I want to think like an entrepreneur, how can I help you grow this business? And I will tell you, if an employee says that to me, that's gold. That is absolute gold because you stand out and we know that that person wants to add more value and they're likely going to be making more money as well. And not to mention when if you work for

Starting point is 00:02:44 a small startup, you're setting up yourself to eventually get equity in that company. I mean, I can like I'm looking at my two top employees and they're getting equity in my company because they help me grow the business. And when you act like an entrepreneur, even when you're employees, especially in a startup environment, you open yourself up to those types of opportunities. That's exactly right. And I think right now, employees have a very unique opportunity. So they can choose to stay mentally on this path of, look, I'm just an employee. I show up at the office. I do my work and I leave. And you're probably going to get paid exactly what you're getting paid right now, maybe 3% more this year. Or you can say, you know what? I'm going to go out on faith.

Starting point is 00:03:26 I'm going to say, take what Hall and Derek talked about. And I'm going to apply these principles and let's just test it. There's literally no risk to you to put a list together of here's ways I have found to help grow this business or this part of the company. Your odds are going to walk out of that meeting with either an idea for three months from now. If you do these things, you'll get a raise. You might get a raise on the spot. But you'll be valued as someone who's a team player and someone who wants to help grow this business. that's what people want as a big decommoditizer for employees right now.

Starting point is 00:04:02 Once you start thinking like an entrepreneur and a true team player, the next step is knowing exactly how you add value. The most successful people don't just take the initiative. They align it with their strengths. They know what fuels them and what drains them. And here's a trap that most high achievers fall into. They think that they have to be great at everything. But you don't. Patrick Glencione, leadership expert and the founder of the table group, says one of the most powerful mindset shifts is letting go of the need to master it all and instead lean into the work

Starting point is 00:04:31 that truly energizes you. Sometimes because of the way we're raised, we have this desire to achieve. I had this growing up. And I was actually really good at the things I hated. The first job I got out of college was a job organized around the very things I liked least. But because I had this achievement,

Starting point is 00:04:54 mentality. It was like, then I am going to do it. And I've come to realize now that I have wounds, that I didn't even know were wounds. I thought there were my superpowers. And you know, and you're young and you're like, I can power through anything. And that doesn't mean we're meant to. And so as you, as you understand your genius is more, it'll be nice for you to be able to go, I don't have to be good at that. Yeah. But for the longest time, when I was young, I was doing all the things I didn't necessarily like. And I said, see, I'm pretty good at this. Yeah.

Starting point is 00:05:27 And sometimes we have to to get the experiences. Absolutely. There are certain things in life where we, and in fact, even in any job, every CEO, every leader has to do all of them a little bit. But if they over index on the ones that drain them of energy and they don't give themselves the experience of spending a lot of time in their genius, it's really bad. Yeah. It's really bad.

Starting point is 00:05:51 And burnout and really, I think, A lot of addiction comes from that, a lot of really difficult things because we are meant to exercise the gifts we've been given. When you know your role, when you're operating in your zone of genius, it gives you a huge boost in confidence. You stop second-guessing yourself. You speak up more. You feel in control. But real confidence, it goes deeper than just knowing where you shine. It's about self-worth. It's about walking into the room and knowing that you belong there, even if nobody's told you that yet. Tori Dunlap is the founder of her first 100K, and she's built a global movement around financial power and personal confidence. Tori shared with me where she thinks true confidence really comes from.

Starting point is 00:06:32 The biggest question, which is very flattering, that I get asked other than a financial question, is like, how are you so confident? Or like, how do you build your own confidence? I believe myself worthy of every opportunity, of every piece of love and belonging. When I walk into a date, it is not, oh, my God, is this person going to like me? It is, how does this person fit in with my life? Like, I'm not worried about how I'm presenting myself. I'm just trying to figure out, like, does this person, is this person worthy of me? Is this relationship worthy of my time?

Starting point is 00:07:06 When I walk into a meeting with a client, I am wondering, how is this person going to see the value and the worth that I offer? And if they're not, it's not, it's not of interest to me. So in terms of building confidence, financial confidence, career confidence, relationship confidence, it is a self-worthiness issue. If you believe yourself worthy of love and opportunity and belonging and of every good thing, you will not be shocked when all of that starts happening in your life. I have never once questioned if I'm worthy of those things.

Starting point is 00:07:37 I joke when I walk into a new therapist's office, there are many other things we're going to have to talk about, but worthiness is not one of them. So when you believe yourself worthy of those opportunities, you will show up differently in every aspect of your life. Confidence doesn't just change how you feel. It changes how others see you, because when you carry yourself like you're valuable, others start to believe it too. Stacey Vanek-Smith, a journalist and host of the podcast, everybody's business, says that our entire economy runs on stories, especially when it comes to value. And if you want to shift how others value you, it starts with

Starting point is 00:08:09 the story you tell about yourself. All the studies show confident is probably one of the most powerful things in the workplace correlated to how happy you are, how much you get paid, how fast you get promoted, how much people like you, people like leaders that are more confident, all of these things. I think the reason it's so powerful is that value, the value of a person or a worker or the work itself is a story. Like, it's just a story. And confidence is a story. I mean, the reason women get paid less, the reason that black women get paid less and black men get paid less is just a story of how much their work is worth. which is also part of why it's so painful when you realize you're getting paid less.

Starting point is 00:08:49 And confidence is also a story. And if your story is like, I am amazing, and everyone's like, wow, he's amazing. I mean, there's also like arrogance, which is a little different. But true confidence is just a deep knowing of self-worth. And that is infectious. People believe you. One big thing you can do is to take action. Confident people act, people who aren't confident waffle.

Starting point is 00:09:12 So speak up in the meeting. ask for a raise, take action. That is something that is very confident. Another thing you can do is aim a little higher than what your goal is. So confident people expect a lot for themselves. So you can pretend that you're confident by asking for more than you think you can get as far as resources, money, time off, deadlines, space, like ask for something that feels nuts to you. That's a way to fake until you make it. And how about birds of a confident feather? The people we hang around influence us a lot.

Starting point is 00:09:49 So if you are around someone who's always like, oh, I'm never going to get this, I would ask for a raise, but I feel like I'm going to get fired, that's not great to be around if you're trying to, like, change your confidence level. You want to be around people who are confident, people who boost your confidence, and that can be very helpful too because you can just sort of, you know, get little tips and also just kind of be in that energy, that confident energy. It's helpful. Of course, confidence doesn't mean going it alone. Influence grows faster when people actually enjoy working with you. And that's where likability comes in. When you're likable, people see you as more competent, more approachable,

Starting point is 00:10:27 and more valuable. Your ideas get heard. Your emails get answered. And your name gets brought up in rooms you're not even in. Michelle Tillis Letterman is a top networking expert and the CEO of Executive Essentials. I asked Michelle, why likability is one of the most underrated but most powerful tools for influence. When you are likable, you are seen as more credit worthy, more trustworthy. Your ideas are received and acted upon. So you are listened to. You are more influential. You are seen as more innovative because you get credit for the ideas that other people then expand on because of the connection you have with them. They receive them. They morph them. They play with them.

Starting point is 00:11:07 And then it's like, oh, well, that was Michelle's idea. So all of those things about influence, impact, innovation, being listened to. Likeability also affects things like promotions and getting the job and getting the sale and getting the referral because all business is relationship business. And we often don't work for a company. We work for a person. We don't quit a company. We quit a person.

Starting point is 00:11:32 When we are hiring somebody, when we are thinking about who we want to work with, it is who. because a lot of people can do the same thing and the differentiator is who that person is and do I trust that they'll have my back? Do I trust that they'll step up when I ask for something? Another thing that's sort of often confused

Starting point is 00:11:51 when it comes to networking and things like that is that like networking is this thing that you do for some ultimate outcome. I'm networking because I want to get a job. I'm networking because I want to find a husband, you know, whatever it is. Why do you think that we need to not have this kind of approach to networking? Okay.

Starting point is 00:12:11 So you saw me like kind of cringe when you said that. I hate the whole networking for need. And that's why I hate the word because I just want you to connect. I just want you to build relationships, the ones that you want to, because those are the ones that are going to get you where you want to go. And the idea is that it's not strategic. And I know we have to be more intentional, but there's a difference between strategic and intentional. I can intentionally put myself in situations to be curious about somebody else.

Starting point is 00:12:41 Law of curiosity is one of the laws of likeability to be interested in somebody else. But I don't have to be thinking, well, you can't do anything for me. So next. If I'm enjoying my conversation with you, that's all that matters. Because I don't know who you are connected to. I don't know who you went to college with, who your neighbor is. Because when real connection happens, those other connections extend more easily. So when it comes to relationship networking, there's three shifts I want people to make. The first shift is from talking about business. I always say, please don't get right down to business, right? Everyone hears that phrase, let's get right down to business. No, please don't. Right? Get right down to personal. Get right

Starting point is 00:13:21 down to the things that you really enjoy talking about because when we connect on what we like to do rather than what we do, that's where connection forms. Because connections are about, you know, common people, places, causes, values, experiences, interests, and not jobs. So get away from just talking business, talk about anything. Shift number two is from short term to long term, which is what you're saying. It is not about now or need. It is about relationship building and having that mindset.

Starting point is 00:13:56 And the third is from, it's not about me. A lot of times we're out there, it's what do I need and who do I want to connect with. But it's not about them either, because that's just, it's about me in reverse. It's about the relationship. I call it the dance, right? The exchange. And how do you add value for both sides? So yes, being likable builds trust, but influence doesn't stop there.

Starting point is 00:14:20 Once people like you, you need to back it up with how you speak, how you carry yourself, and how you handle high-stakes conversations. coming up we shift from inner belief to outer impact how to speak move and negotiate like somebody who's worth listening to what's up gap gang i remember back when i was in corporate i did everything right i worked hard and i poured into my job but when it came time for a big promotion the one i've been working towards for years they gave it to somebody else somebody less qualified it was painful but a powerful realization that the hard work alone doesn't guarantee success you've got to understand the rules of power at work. That's why I'm recommending this new series on master class called

Starting point is 00:15:00 the Power Playbook, How to Win at Work, taught by Stanford Professor Jeffrey Pfeffer. In his class, he breaks down how top executives really rise to the top and how influence actually works inside organizations. You'll learn how to build strategic alliances to move your career forward, communicate with confidence, and position yourself for your next big opportunity. This kind of advice is something I wish I had back when I worked in corporate. If you truly want to gain power at work, need to sign up for this. The Power Playbook, How to Win at Work, is available exclusively on Masterclass. Masterclass always has great offers during the holidays, sometimes as much as 50% off. Had to Masterclass.com profiting for the current offer. Again, that's 50% off at Masterclass.com

Starting point is 00:15:41 slash profiting. Again, that's Masterclass.com slash profiting. Welcome back, Yap, gang. So far we've built up your confidence and likability, but now it's time to talk about your delivery, because here's the deal. You can't influence anyone if they don't. understand you or worse, they don't remember you. In the business world, verbal communication is everything. And according to Yasser Khan, the founder of Speak Like a CEO, every interaction you have, whether it's a Zoom call, a pitch, or just a hallway conversation is a stage. And how you show up on that stage determines how people perceive your value. When you open your mouth, that is your brand. And you'll be shocked, Hala. In fact, you probably won't be shocked with the

Starting point is 00:16:21 amount of people you talk to, how many people are not careful of the words that come out of their mouth? Because what you say is what is reflected about your business. So if you knew that, wouldn't you be a lot more careful of what came out of your mouth, what you said, what you wrote? That's why just having that finesse on your words, making sure when you're on stage, people remember you, it's more important than it's ever been. Oh my gosh. I think that's so true. And aside from speaking on stage, because entrepreneurs, not all of us, are really going to be on stage. But there's transferable skills when it comes to public speaking. Can you talk to us about that? Yeah. The definition of public speaking isn't just being on stage. It's talking to someone at

Starting point is 00:17:01 some time. If you are talking to someone, which I imagine if your listeners are listening, they're talking to people, right, unless they're locked in a basement somewhere. You are going to do public speaking. And every single time you do that, you are representing yourself and your brand. What do you want people to interpret about you? How do you want them to perceive you? How do you want them to receive your company, all of that is public speaking. So you want to treat the stage as your entire life. Every single place you go, you're performing. So wouldn't you want to put up the best performance wherever you go? I think the answer is. Totally. Now, showing up with presence is step one, but speaking with impact, that doesn't mean winging it. It means prepping like a pro.

Starting point is 00:17:38 There's a real science behind things like small talk and networking. Matt Abrams teaches strategic communication at Stanford's Graduate School of Business. And he shared how even the most spontaneous sounding conversations are built on preparation and how you can actually train for these high impact moments. When you're networking, just like when you're interviewing, first and foremost, you should be thinking about who are the people that are in the space or in the room or on the Zoom that you're connecting with. So do some research, reconnaissance and reflection about who the people are that you might be speaking to, because that will help you focus your content. Second, come up with with themes that you want to get across.

Starting point is 00:18:16 So in a networking environment, what are some key ideas I want to get across and share? And you can plan those in advance, whatever those are. You might want to share your opinions or you have strong opinions on AI or something going on in the news. That's your theme. And then stockpile some specific support for those themes. Maybe it's a story you have. Maybe it's some data you heard about.

Starting point is 00:18:41 Think of it this way. You know, if you ever see a restaurant's kitchen and everybody's cooking fast and furious during a high peak time at the restaurant, they have everything prepared in advance. Everything's pre-chop, pre-sautade, so they're just assembling. You can do the same thing. Think about these themes and then think about these different types of support for those themes. So when I'm in the networking situation and somebody brings up a point, I can say I can connect that point to this theme I wanted to get across and I can pull in this example. so you've taken the pressure off of yourself to be to originate in the moment and instead you're just connecting and building and that can actually help you feel better and it allows you to be more agile

Starting point is 00:19:23 and spontaneous and then when it comes to small talk directly start with questions or observations ask somebody a question or observe something that's happening in the environment just comment on it i made a great good friend simply by standing in line at a conference i didn't know anybody I looked around and I noticed lots of people were dressed in blue. It wasn't a uniform. It just happened to be coincidence. I turned to the guy. I said, I didn't get the memo on wearing blue.

Starting point is 00:19:49 He looked around and said, you're right. Everybody's wearing blue. Started a great conversation. We've now become friends. When I travel to where he lives, I visit him all the time. It started simply with an observation. Of course, it's not just about what you say in these types of conversations. It's how you show up while saying it.

Starting point is 00:20:06 Your body language, your vocal tone, your presence, those little intangibles can make a big difference in how your message lands. Here's Matt Abrams again, breaking down the subtle signals that can make you look more confident, sound more credible, and leave a stronger impression. I think one of the things we did not talk about

Starting point is 00:20:24 that is important for us to think about is not just what you say, but how you say it. We need to be thinking about our body and our voices when we communicate. So it's not just feeling comfortable and confidence speaking in the moment. It is appearing comfortable in confidence.

Starting point is 00:20:41 So let me share just a couple bits of advice about what we can do with our body and our voices. First and foremost, you want to be big. Many of us, when we get nervous or are feeling threatened, we make ourselves small. So the best thing you can do is take your shoulder blades and just pull them down. Make yourself broad. I'm not pushing my elbows back. I'm not puffing my chest out. I just pull my shoulder blades down and I make myself look bigger.

Starting point is 00:21:06 You look more confident. You want to hold your head straight and not tilted. So we don't want to be, I'm not saying be stiff and rigid. Just make yourself big. When you speak, vary your voice. If I were to have spoken like this for this entire interview, people would have left a long time ago. Our brains are wild for novelty, things that change. So add emotive words. If you are somebody who doesn't have a lot of variation, add adjectives and adverbs. So I would never say, I'm really excited to be here. No, I'd say I'm really excited. So emphasize those words. So the one thing we didn't talk about is how you say what you say,

Starting point is 00:21:45 and we need to remember that. And the single easiest way to work on this is to record yourself, either through voice memo or through video. It's really easy to do that these days and watch. It's painful to watch yourself. But when you do, you'll see these things that work for you and things that you might want to change. All of my MBA students I teach, whenever they do a presentation. I make them watch themselves without listening to it. And then I make them listen to themselves without watching it and then do both together. And while they hate it, they love it because they learn so much and they actually are able to change. So you've got the presence. You've got the body language. But when the stakes are high, sometimes the most powerful way to influence isn't

Starting point is 00:22:26 by saying more. It's by flipping the script. Great communicators know how to shift the dynamic. And what's one of the most effective ways to do that? It's by asking. the right questions. Specifically, what and how questions. They get people to think, reflect, and even persuade themselves while giving them the illusion of control. I learned this from Chris Voss, the CEO of the Black Swan Group and a former FBI hostage negotiator. He knows how to guide high-pressure conversations, and he shared this powerful framework for leading without forcing. People love to be asked what to do. People love to be asked how to do something. You know, You give them the illusion of control when you ask those questions.

Starting point is 00:23:09 And, you know, negotiation is not about control to guide someone, but in crisis intervention, it called guided discovery. That's not control. It's given the other side a lot of latitude. But you kind of frame things with a what or how question. And the other side doesn't feel framed. They feel they would just ask, what? to do or how to do it. I mean, they feel in control. So it's given the other side the illusion

Starting point is 00:23:40 of control. It's usually through a what or a how question. Could you give us an example? Well, you know, the famous, how am I supposed to do that as a way to say no? The other side doesn't feel attacked. What it really is is if you can't do something because implementation is really difficult. You say, how am I supposed to do that? Or you might say it three times. How am I supposed to do that? Or you might say it a third time, how am I supposed to do that? Each one of those questions makes the other side think about the complexity of the problems. But they don't know that you made them think about it. They feel in control. They feel like you, you're asking for help. And, you know, that's kind of the that's the way you get it started.

Starting point is 00:24:35 Chris Voss just showed us how powerful it is to guide a conversation with the right question. But sometimes the hardest questions are the ones you ask about yourself. The most respected professionals aren't afraid of feedback. They go after it, not because it's comfortable, but because they know it's the fastest way they can grow. If you want more influence, you need to get really good at hearing the hard stuff and doing something with it. Kim Scott is the best-selling author of Radical Cander and the co-founder of the co-founder of the company by the same name. She shared her playbook for how to solicit honest feedback, handle it like a pro, and build a stronger relationship with your boss in the process.

Starting point is 00:25:11 So how can you make sure that you can get feedback that is actionable from your boss? Again, there's an order of operations. You want to start by soliciting it and really drawing it out of your boss. Sort of think about your go-to question. Think about how you're getting to embrace the discomfort, like sit with the silence. Think about how you're going to prepare yourself to listen with the intent to understand, not to respond. And then you've got to reward the candor by either fixing the problem or explaining why you disagree. That last thing is pretty tough. But this is about radical candor. Don't pretend to agree when you disagree because that... Oh, that's so interesting. So you're saying there's a point in this conversation where you can

Starting point is 00:26:01 kind of be like, well, I appreciate your feedback, even though I requested it, but I don't necessarily agree. Yes, because if you can't do that, then you get wedged, right? You ask for the feedback, you disagree with it, and you're like, you know, and that's often why people fail to solicit feedback, because to avoid that awkward situation. So what do you do if you disagree with your boss's feedback? Look for that five or ten percent of what your boss said that you can agree with. and give voice to that. And then say, as for the rest of that, can I think about it and process it?

Starting point is 00:26:37 And then can we have another conversation? And then you've got to get back to them. Some of my best professional relationships started with a good, respectful disagreement. And you can't argue endlessly. You can say, look, before you disagree, say, look, I will do it your way. But I want to explain to you why I have some questions

Starting point is 00:26:59 about this way. So you want to make sure that you're communicating your willingness to listen, challenge, commit. But don't skip that challenge part because it's when you challenge that you give your boss the opportunity to explain to you why you may be wrong. Welcoming feedback doesn't mean you're weak. It makes you trustworthy, and trust is a currency of influence. But here's the thing. Sometimes no amount of self-improvement can fix a broken environment. The real power move is knowing when it's time.

Starting point is 00:27:30 time to walk away. If the culture is toxic, if you're not being developed, or if you're constantly overlooked, it might not be you. You could be doing all the right things, but just in the wrong place. Tim Salo, also known as Mr. Future of Work, faced that exact situation during his time at Microsoft. And instead of staying silent, he chose to speak up. So for me, you know, while I was working with Microsoft, and I was working in a culture like that, where, you know, I saw up front the fact that someone toxic was hurting the culture. I remember that I went to my boss's literally his office one day. He had white walls.

Starting point is 00:28:06 He was sitting in front of his desk on a Windows computer. And literally, he turns in me as I walk in, I sit on a brown chair. And he's looking at me with a brown shirt and black glasses. And I look at him straight in his face. And I tell him, look, I'm not happy here. I don't feel like you're doing enough to grow me. you know and although i was killing it all right my teammates loved me i was good for the culture i just didn't feel as if i was being developed and he licks me dead in my eyes and he says it's not my job

Starting point is 00:28:36 to grow you it's not my job to coach you and all of that and then that's when i realized you know great manager but an awful leader right he's a great at delegating word getting work done making sure milestones are met but he's not a leader and for me i felt this might deserve better because i was a leader right? And I carry myself in high stature. And I think that a lot of people need to run away from these environments that are toxic like that, right? Like a lot of people often, they stay in an environment where they're not wanted and they don't feel wanted. And it's killing them. I've had friends in my life in environments like that. They're like, I'm tired of my corporate job. And it's like, I encourage them, well, do something about it, right? If you have enough saved,

Starting point is 00:29:22 if you feel as if you have an opportunity, you can create another opportunity, you're talented, why not seek something else? Why do you feel as if you have to relegate yourself to only working with this one employer? And as we mentioned earlier, you know, that's really risky nowadays, right? Because we're relying on just one revenue street. Knowing when to leave a toxic environment is powerful, but knowing where to go next, that's even more valuable. It reminds me of another great insight from Jeffrey Pfeffer in the Power Playbook. He says, if you want power, you need to stay close to it. If senior leadership is in the office, be in that office. In short, if you want bigger opportunity, proximity matters. You need to be

Starting point is 00:30:01 around people doing what you want to do and in the places where they're doing it. Ken Coleman is a career expert and the host of the Ken Coleman show. And he calls this very idea the proximity principle. We'll start with what the principal is and then what it does. The principal says this. In order to do what I want to do, you can fill in the blank there. I've got to be around people that are doing it and in places where it is happening. Young Holla did this. She thought she wanted to be a singer. So what did she do? She went to the place where they were playing all the songs. And it was a brilliant move, right? Now, your idea changed. But again, what's interesting is that you've also could have used the radio as that idea of this is the right place. So the proximity

Starting point is 00:30:44 principle is about people and places. The right people plus the right places equals opportunity. In other words, if you're constantly getting around the right people, people that are in the space that you want to be in, or similar to the space that you think you want to be in, that proximity is just there. I think your life is actually a wonderful example of this. And you talked about it earlier. Because you were in proximity, you pointed it out.

Starting point is 00:31:12 It wasn't that big of a departure. You are, in fact, a performer. You're a top-notch performer. You may only sing for friends and family now, Which, by the way, I'd love to hear you sing. I think your audience would, too. There might need to be a single coming out later. But anyway, that's my ADHD flaring up.

Starting point is 00:31:28 But I think that the issue here is if I understand that being around the right people is going to allow me to meet more of the right people, being around the right people, they're going to point me to the right places. I go to the right places. I see, I learn, I observe. Oh, by the way, I connect with more of the right people over here. And so what you've got is if I were going to draw it up, it would be an arrow here, an arrow here. and we'd have the right people in the right places. And it becomes this cyclical process of learning, doing, and connecting. That's what it spits out. And that formula equals opportunity to where, if you do it right, hollow, people will knock on your door. In fact, some of the coolest experiences

Starting point is 00:32:08 I got in my career where I got huge opportunities were because of proximity. I was the second option, but they needed another option. But the only reason they thought of me is because I was in the orbit, if you will. So, in order to do what I want to do, I've got to be around people that are doing it in places where it is happening. In other words, if I'm around the right people and in the right places, the right time will happen on its own. All right, bam, you've made the move. You're in the right room, surrounded by the right people, but here's the final piece of the puzzle. Once you're there, make sure they know what you're all about, because if you don't speak up for your value, who will? Julie Solomon is a business coach and the host of the

Starting point is 00:32:48 influencer podcast. She calls this idea, B-Y-O-P, be your own publicist, and talks about the importance of promoting your worth with authority. If you're not going to teach your own horn, who is? You know, it really does have to begin with you. It has to begin with you advocating for yourself, saying what you want, saying what you want, saying what you need, meaning what you say, with clarity, with confidence, with security, getting really clear about what is it that I want and being able to advocate for that. And I think that from my experience, not only just being a publicist,

Starting point is 00:33:24 but just through my own journey, it has to begin with you. You know, most of, most publicists that I know, it's like they can't even really do much for somebody if someone hasn't laid that foundation first for themselves and have really learned, especially in this day and age, Hala, like how to brand themselves,

Starting point is 00:33:43 how to speak for themselves, how to be clear about their messaging, how to be clear about their marketing and how to promote themselves. And so that's really, I think, the important piece. And if anyone's having like any trouble with that, I would just encourage you to ask yourself, you know, why are you so afraid to be seen? You can't hide yourself and expect to be seen.

Starting point is 00:34:05 So, you know, why are you so afraid to give yourself that gift of shining and see where that leads you? I love that. Julie's right. If you want to shine, you have to stop hiding. The power to be seen starts when you decide you're worth looking at. You don't need to wait for permission to be influential. Start acting like a leader.

Starting point is 00:34:25 Speak like one. Connect like one. Influence is built in the small daily moments. When you listen well, show up fully, and own your value. So go claim your seat at the table and don't forget to sit tall and speak up because the room listens to those who believe they deserve to be heard.

Young and Profiting with Hala Taha - Career Growth Moves That Make You Impossible to Ignore | Career | Presented by MasterClass

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